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NCHSAA Coach-captain Retreat Attracts Students From Across State

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK-- The North Carolina High School Athletic Association held its spring 2006 Coach-Captain Retreat recently, the 23rd in a series of successful events.

The event, part of the Association’s Student Services program, was held at the Radisson Governors Inn March 17-19 and attracted students from all over North Carolina.

Retreat teams include student-athletes who will be captains or leaders of their athletic squads in the coming year, a coach from the school and a parent representative. They are designed to promote the concept of “teamwork.” Issues such as leadership development, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, violence prevention strategies and academic success are addressed at these retreats, the first of which was held in the spring of ‘95.

The retreats are designed to help student-athletes define leadership qualities, identify key issues that affect them, learn to communicate effectively with other students and adults about these issues, and then to understand what captains can do to use their influence to prevent problems and promote healthy lifestyles.

“Student Services is the ‘value-added’ division of the NCHSAA,” said Dreibelbis. “The Coach/Captain Retreat emphasizes the responsibility of student- athletes to take their leadership skills and implement programs promoting positive life skills and total development through athletics to both their school and community. Having the opportunity to develop these initiatives and assist in their implementation is what Student Services is all about. Our programs do make a difference and create winners for life.”

Facilitators included the following NCHSAA Student Services Trainers: Mike Brown, retired athletic director from the New Hanover County schools and president of B&M Associates; P.J. Taylor, former coach at Williamston High and safe and drug free schools coordinator for the Martin County Schools; Patrick Gunn, a former teacher and coach at Topsail High School; Teresa Coleman, athletic director and coach at West Bladen; Faye Corbin, a teacher and coach at Hope Mills South View; and Susan Cox, athletic director at Perquimans.

Teams always conclude their retreat experience by developing an action plan, something that can be taken back and executed in their local school. Among the components of the action plan are bulletin boards in the school, public service announcements for the school intercom, a community service project, a newsletter for student-athletes and other school/community ideas generated by the team itself.

In addition to the staff, there were 137 participants in the retreat, with a total of 94 student-athletes and 43 adults attending. The adult total included 26 coaches, representing a total of 20 different schools, and 17 parents of athletes.